2022 Top 5 Under $30 wines of the Year

WINE TALK
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Dedicated to those who think these wines are not good!

    • 2017 Result of a Crush Syrah The Unnamed Series – USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley (11/4/2022)
      Day 1: Exotic spices, sweet bell peppers, black pepper, earth, black olives, tar and roasted meats. Outstanding on the pop and pour and super complex wine. As good as the last bottle. 93 points
      Day 2: This is the closest to an actually Reynvaan wine you can get without spending $75. Very few would know the difference in a blind tasting. Black olives, spices, tar, roasted meats, violets, earth and stone. Concentrated wine with a really long finish. Complexity overload for $25. 94+ points
      Day 3: By far the best of the 18 and 19 in comparison. Holding outstanding form on day 3. Black olives, dust, tar, roasted meats, violets, earth, stone, blueberries, red currants and white pepper. Super long finish and wine of the year almost for sure. Reynvaan wine for $25 for sure. 95 points
      Recommendation: I just ordered 8 more so have at it. (95 points)
    • 2014 Davenport Cellars Mr. B – USA, Washington, Columbia Valley (7/20/2022)
      Day 1: Sadly 2nd to last bottle. Powerful wine with Bing cherries, plum, spice, mild oak and spices. Was just in Walla Walla this past weekend and very few Cabernets I tasted were this good and they sold for far more.
      Day 2: Think Barnett Rattlesnake Hill. Dark fruits featuring blueberries, plum, cherry along with spice, floral, dark chocolate and minerals. Not even close when it comes to the best wine value of all time. Again don’t focus on the price focus on what is in the glass. 94 points.
      Day 3: Hello. Tested Positive for Covid and thank goodness didn’t lose smell and taste. This rivals any Napa Wine and 3 Day Wine Review put this wine on the map! Blueberries, plum, spice, dark chocolate, minerals, spice, dust and Bing Cherries. Can’t explain how good this is and no critic rated this. Off the charts and the biggest promotion in 3 Day Wine Review History. 95 points
      RECOMMENDATION: IF YOU CAN GET SOME YOUR WELCOME!!! (95 points)
    • 2011 Clarendon Hills Cabernet Sauvignon Sandown – Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, Clarendon (4/22/2022)
      Day 1: This is very similar to the 2nd bottle and features more fruit. Blueberries, plum and boysenberries. Mineral streak on the finish along with some tobacco. Very good again. 93 points
      Day 2: To say there is good bottle variation might be an understatement with this wine. 2 bottles with that Cayuse funk and 2 bottles more in the Napa high end style. Blueberries, minerals, cherry, boysenberries, soy, tobacco and earth. Medium plus finish. This buries anything under $30 in a long time. 94 points
      Recommendation: $27.99 at WTSO might be the easiest purchase since the Davenport Cellars deals. (94 points)
    • 2018 Result of a Crush Syrah The Unnamed Series – USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley (10/21/2022)
      Day 1: This is singing and just off the UPS truck. It is a myth that wines need time from transited. Older bottles or Champagnes yes but newer bottles with over 100 notes and then 100 later no worries on these younger wines. Medium purple. This is complex like the bigger brother Reynvaan wines and for $25 a bottle one of the top wines of the year for the money. Black olives, dust, white pepper, spice, minerals, roasted meats and red currants. Medium to long finish and complexity is off the charts. 93 points
      Day 2: This is not as good but solid on day 2. Green olives, dust, minerals, earth, white pepper and red currants. Not as intense as day 1 but not complaining. 91 points
      Day 3: So, this is off the charts on day 3. Even better than day 1. Black olives, spice, roasted meat, stone, red currants, minerals, graphite and spices. Medium plus finish. No wine this year under $25 is on this level. Classic this wine is under $30 so it can’t be this good. Wrong! Might be my wine of the year candidate. 94 points
      Recommendation: I am buying a case of this and will regret promoting this as I will want more cases down the road. (94 points)
    • 2018 Dutton-Goldfield Pinot Noir Dutton Ranch – USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley (10/18/2022)
      Day 1: This is singing. One of the best under $20 wine buys in a long time. Thanks Morelli’s in St. Paul. Cranberry, spice, rose petals, underbrush, violets, and red currants. Flavorful wine and medium plus finish. Outstanding value. 93 points
      Day 2: Even a bit better. Beautiful wine with cranberry, strawberry, rose petals, violets, red currants, mushrooms and spices. Super complex effort and even better on day 2. Outstanding. 94 points
      Recommendation: Buy it!!! (94 points)
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Chateau Dalem '19
Vincent Ribbon Ridge
Sandhi Central Coast Chard '20
Muga '17
Scherrer OVZ

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Sabelli-Frisch Mariedam 2021
Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyards Zinfandel 2019
Thivin Côte de Brouilly 2020

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Vale da Capucha Fossil Branco 2018
ViteAdOvest Terre Siciliane Kapo 2017
Minimus Wines Blaufrankisch Johan Vineyard 2018 (Their RedWhitePink is great too)
Haarmeyer Wine Cellars Chenin Blanc St Rey SRV 2021
L’Acino Chora Calabria IGT 2019

However, the Briceland Gewurtztraminer Ishi Pishi Ranch 2020 will probably replace one of these once I’ve opened one. It’s great every year but I don’t like to rush Andrew’s IPR wines.

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Muga 17 was a great one. Last few bottles not as good as when I opened these in 2021 as later 2022 didn’t show as well but a great value nonetheless.

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Black Slate 2018. The best are always Porrera and La Viella de Vila

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Volpaia 2020 CC - Our local Randall’s had this on discount down to less than $10 if you bought a mixed case… I think I purchased 5 cases over some time…

The wine is the perfect foil for classic Italian dishes like any red-sauced pasta dish with meat or pizza at a price that is redonkulous!

At $25 - a good wine, at $10… for this cat - almost too good!

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I just paid $18 for it to keep a vertical going but I’ve heard good things about the 2020 CCs.

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2019 Eight Bells Old Salt Red Willow Vineyard - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley (12/27/2022)
67% Sangiovese/33% Cabernet Sauvignon (Red Willow Vineyard)
Day 1: Very nice featuring floral, dust, peppercorns, cherry, burnt toast, earth and spices. Very fragrant wine and quite complex. Great value wine under $30.00. 92 points

Not bad for under $30.00. Not top 5 but Seattle locals check it out and they actually ship to MN as one of the 4 states they ship to.

old salt
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2006 Conte d’Attimis-Maniago Pignolo
2020 Boekenhoutskloof The Chocolate Block
2019 Château Fortia Châteauneuf-du-Pape Edmée Le Roy
2015 Château de Cérons Cérons
2018 Olga Raffault Chinon Les Peuilles

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Here are 5, off the top of my head and in no particular order.

2019 Chateau Laroque
2019 Chateau Dalem
2020 Goodfellow Willamette Valley Chardonnay
2020 Carlisle Sonoma County Zin
2021 Donnhoff Oberhäuser Leistenberg Kabinett Nahe

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I can’t believe no one has mentioned Raul Perez’s Ultreia Saint Jacques. One of my favorite reds I have had this year, period.

2013 J.B. Becker Wallufer Walkenberg Riesling Kabinett trocken - 90 pts.

2020 Monastero Suore Cistercensi Benedic - 90pts.

2019 Vietti Langhe Nebbiolo Perbacco - 88 pts.

2020 G.D. Vajra Langhe Nebbiolo Claré J.C. - 88pts.

2011 Calabretta Nerello Mascalese Vigne Vecchie Sicilia IGT - 93pts. (just over $30)

Michel Arnould & Fils Champagne Grand Cru Brut Reserve also can be had for less than $30. It is a sugary autolysis bomb, but still enjoyable.

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Absolutely agree. This was flabbergasting for just under $30

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Love German Riesling pricing. Best event of 2022 was an industry event of German and Austrian Riesling. Amazing the value there!

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I don’t think I drank five wines under $30, due to a dedication to exploring Champagne this year, but the one I did have, Raventos Blanc de Nit, was one of the best bottles at this price point I have had in years.

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Always nice to see a local wine shop reach out to you first to offer this 2021. This wine ended up tied for 3rd on the last day of 2022. Just finished it up today and it was singing.

2021 Tensley Syrah
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  • 2021 Tensley Syrah     - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County (12/31/2022)
    3 Day World Headquarters New Year’s Celebration (Bloomington, MN): Day 1: Alright 2020 was excellent with a fruit forward style but did not overdo it. This 2021 is off the charts! Can’t believe no one else has reviewed it but here we go. Black pepper, spice, boysenberries, tar, dark cherry, stone and soy sauce. So thankful that my boys from Thomas Liquor reached out to me and said we have a case and was able to get 4. Should have got all 12 but that is not sharing! Now will have to redo my top 10 of the year for under $30. 94+ points
    Day 2: Wonderful on day 2. Black pepper, savory spices, floral, tar, dark berries, stone, soy sauce, minerals and dried herbs. Just an amazing, complex wine with a really long finish. Can’t imagine many wines under $20 at this level. 94+ points
    Day 3: Still outstanding. Always love those that think wines don’t drink well for 3 days. This is for sure back up the truck and one of the best $20 wines I have sampled in a long time. Just amazing complexity on this wine and a true definition of what California Syrah should smell and taste like. Black pepper, boysenberries, minerals, tar, savory spices, floral, earth, dust and underbrush. 94+ points
    Recommendation: Buy all the store has to offer. (94 points)
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